Lawrence has about 100 fewer people experiencing unsheltered homelessness than last year, according to an unverified point in time count released by the City of Lawrence Thursday morning — a “promising shift … in our efforts to end chronic homelessness in this community,” said the director of the city’s Homeless Solutions Division in a news release.

This year’s point in time, or PIT, count was conducted on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23. The city submitted its collected information to the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, which will verify it and send out an official report for Douglas County — and the rest of the state — later this year following acceptance by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The PIT numbers, as submitted by the City of Lawrence Homeless Response Team, are:

* People experiencing sheltered homelessness in Douglas County (2024):136

* People experiencing sheltered homelessness in Douglas County (2025): 184

* People experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Douglas County (2024): 142

* People experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Douglas County (2025): 43

The City of Lawrence credits the formation of the multidisciplinary Homeless Response Team for the reduction in unsheltered homelessness. The Homeless Response Team forms relationships with these individuals so they can connect them with the resources they need to become sheltered. Additionally, the city has made significant investment to create additional spaces to shelter people in need, the release said.

“These aren’t just numbers — they’re a reflection of the real, on-the-ground work happening every day. Our Homeless Response Team, alongside our dedicated community partners, have been meeting people where they are, building trust, and creating tailored compassionate solutions that fit each person’s journey,” said Misty Bosch-Hastings, the director of the Homeless Solutions Division. “The data also reflects the success of our diversion policy, which enables us to return people to their communities of origin or other places where they have resources and a warm handoff can be made. We’ve made great strides, but we’re not stopping here. We’ll continue to build on this momentum, knowing that together, we’re making progress toward ending chronic homelessness.”